Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson talks with coach Kevin Stefanski after minicamp on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Canton. Phil Masturzo / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New report details what the Browns are planning to do with Deshaun Watson

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Nick Pedone | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 7:18 PM ET

The Cleveland Browns switched up their quarterback room this week while Deshaun Watson has continued rehabbing from his ruptured Achilles tendon.

Kevin Stefanski announced that Dillon Gabriel will be Cleveland’s starting quarterback against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. Some have speculated that Cleveland’s decision to bench veteran quarterback Joe Flacco could pave the way to seeing Watson in 2025.

But NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport doused cold water on any speculation that Watson could start games for the Browns this season.

Rapoport acknowledged that Cleveland benching Flacco likely signaled that the team was entering evaluation mode – trying to get an understanding of what their other quarterbacks are capable of. If the Browns elect to keep Watson on their roster, which they will as his entire 2026 salary is fully guaranteed, seeing him on the field would add to that evaluation.

However, Rapoport reported that Watson playing in 2025 is considered unlikely.

Some good info from Ian Rapoport here.

Shedeur Sanders is expected to play at some point this season while Deshaun Watson playing is not likely. pic.twitter.com/i1nYVvbtzl
— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) October 4, 2025

While the Browns will not be able to rule out the possibility of Watson starting games again, the theory seems increasingly farfetched, especially after owner Jimmy Haslam called the trade “a big swing and a miss” this offseason.

When the Browns gave up more than three first-round draft picks for Watson, nobody anticipated things going this poorly. However, the time off in Houston paired with an 11-game suspension proved too much for the $230 million quarterback to come back from.

The Watson trade will likely go down as the worst in NFL history, but that isn’t stopping the Browns’ brass from trying to be resourceful in order to move off of his massive salary. Gabriel or Sanders working out would clear up the picture for the Browns.

Cleveland has two first round picks next year, but Gabriel or Sanders emerging as an answer would allow the team to solve other holes offensively.

In the same report, Rapoport acknowledged that despite remaining the third quarterback on Cleveland’s depth chart, the Browns are expected to take a look at Sanders this season.

There’s no indication on how long Gabriel’s leash as the starting quarterback will be, but the Browns would prefer to put Sanders in the best situation possible, starting him with a full week of preparation and a gameplan that fits his skillset.

While the Browns are expected to keep making quarterback changes throughout the season, and Watson is getting closer to being medically cleared to play, it seems like Cleveland is ready to turn the page on one of the worst trades in the history of sports.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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